1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article for attracting deer, and, in particular, deer hair in an air permeable container.
2. Discussion of Background
Deer rely on their sense of smell for information about their surrounding environment. Depending upon the particular scent they detect, deer may respond by indifference, fear or attraction. The scent of a female deer, for example, will attract a male deer. A hunter, wildlife enthusiast, or photographer may try to duplicate a particular attractive scent to attract deer.
One method in which deer communicate is by using the scent of volatile compounds secreted by their tarsal glands. The tarsal gland is located on the inside hind legs of deer as illustrated in FIGS. 2-3. The tarsal gland is a source of identification with each deer having its own unique smell. To utilize the tarsal glands, a deer will rub its two tarsal glands together while urinating over them. This urine contains an odor that identifies certain characteristics of the deer such as gender, social status, and physical condition. The tarsal gland tissue (sebaceous gland) secret sebum that adheres to the tarsal hair which selects certain fat soluble compounds from the urine, which gives the tarsal hair its individually pungent smell. Deer are naturally curious about the smell of a new deer in their area.
During mating season or rut, bucks use the secretions from their tarsal glands to mark their territory and attract does. A buck will mark off his breeding territory by creating several mating scrapes. A scrape is a circular area that has been cleared of leaves or other debris. Upon clearing the area, the buck will mark the scrape by urinating over his tarsal glands. These scrapes will be worked on a regular basis. This serves to announce and maintain the buck's presence and dominance to the does and other bucks in the area. Does may be attracted to the area of a dominant buck during estrus, while less dominant bucks generally avoid confrontation with the dominant buck. The presence of another buck's scent on scrapes of a dominant buck, presents a direct challenge to the dominant buck.
Various products have been devised to duplicate these natural odors that attract deer. Numerous patents on deer attractants have been issued on fluids, such as deer urine, that are sprayed or dispensed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,940 issued to Christenson, II, combines the use of deer urine with the tarsal gland. In this patent, the tarsal gland is dried, either naturally, by convection heating or by freeze-drying, until use. The gland is rehydrated to activate it by adding a quantity of urine at the hunting site. Unfortunately, tarsal gland tissue has a limited shelf life. If the gland is not preserved, the tissue becomes "spoiled" very quickly thereby making it unattractive to deer and impossible to market. Moreover, preservation methods, such as freeze-drying, tend to alter and destroy the volatile compounds carried by the tarsal hair so that the rehydrated odor does not have its intended attractive effect. Therefore, there is a need for a deer attractant that contains all of the naturally occurring volatile compounds and has a long shelf life.